Cover for bathtubs during construction period

ABSTRACT

A protective cover for a rectangular bathtub to use during the construction of bathrooms. The cover is a rectangular sheet that has elongated strips of adhesive along its side edges. The strips of adhesive have a protective strip removably mounted thereto. Additionally, the cover has a plurality of spaced apart bands that extend diagonally across the cover with a precautionary message thereon to warn viewers that the work area is a potentially hazardous area. When in use, a plumber secures the cover to the bathtub.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

When plumbers are installing bathtubs a cover is used to cover the tubso debris will not fall into the bathtub and so that non-plumbers can bewarned that the bathtub is under construction. Though some plumbersmerely use a drop cloth or tarp to cover a bathtub, these covers canprove to be associated with many problems. For example, these types ofcovers are usually not specifically made for a bathtub and thereforeparts of the cover can end up on the floor creating hazards for theplumber. Additionally, these covers are not attached to the bathtub andtherefore can slide off easily or when larger pieces of debris fall inthe middle of them, it can pull the cover off the bathtub. Furthermore,when a plumber has to leave the worksite and a homeowner or buildingtenant remains on the premises, the homeowner or building tenantoccasionally does not realize that the cover over the bathtub means thatthe bathtub area is not safe for them to use. This can cause a homeowneror building tenant to walk into an unattended bathroom and step ondebris causing injury or to attempt to use an unfinished bathtub causingdamage to pipes and the tub itself.

Because of all these problems there is a need in the art for a bathtubcover that will securely fix onto a bathtub and at the same time warnhomeowners and building tenants that the bathtub is not to be used.There is also a need in the art to have a bathtub cover that is easy totransport from one worksite to the next.

Thus, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide abathtub cover that will warn homeowners and building tenants that thebathtub is under construction.

Another object is to provide a bathtub cover that will be shaped toconform to the size of a bathtub.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a bathtubcover that can be secured to the bathtub so that it may not be easilyshifted or moved.

These and other objects, features, or advantages of the presentinvention will become apparent from the specification and claims.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a protective cover for a rectangular bathtub touse during the construction of bathrooms. The cover is a rectangularsheet that has elongated strips of adhesive along its side edges thatcan be used to secure the side edges to the frame of the bathtub. Beforeuse, there is a protective strip removably mounted on the strips ofadhesive. Additionally, the cover has spaced apart bands that extenddiagonally across the sheet that have precautionary messages writtenthereon to warn a viewer that the tub is a potential hazardous area.This invention also includes a method of protecting a bathtub thatincludes taking the rectangular sheet and placing the elongated stripsof adhesive and protective strip on top of the adhesive strips. Then oneplaces a plurality of spaced bands with the precautionary message on thecover and removes the protective strips to adhere the strips of adhesiveonto the bathtub.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a bathtub having the cover of thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the cover of this invention; and

FIG. 3 is a side plan view showing the protective strip on the adhesivelayer.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

The bathtub cover 10 of the present invention is used by a plumber wheninstalling a bathtub 12, or working on a bathtub 12, within a bathroom.The cover 10 has side edges 14 and end edges 16. Along the side edges 14is a securing means 18 that is covered by a protective strip 20 that isremovably mounted onto the securing means 18. Located diagonally acrossthe cover 10 are a plurality of caution strips 22 that haveprecautionary messages thereon and are spaced apart by diagonal dividers24.

In operation, a plumber takes the cover 10 with the securing means 18and protective strips 20 that are removably mounted on the securingmeans 18 and removes the protective strips 20. The plumber then securesthe securing means 18 to the upper side edges of the bathtub 12 with theprecautionary message showing for all bystanders to see.

Though in a preferred embodiment the cover 10 is specifically in theshape of a rectangular tub, the cover 10 can be made to fit a tub 12 ofany shape or size. The cover 10 merely must be made so that it hangsover the perimeter of the tub 12. Then the portion of the cover 10 thathangs over the perimeter of the tub 12 will have the securing means 18thereon. Hence, the cover 10 can be attached to the tub 12 using thesame method as described above.

In a preferred embodiment the securing means 18 is an elongated adhesivestrip that is located along the side edges 14 of cover 10. The securingmeans can also be double back tape, or any adhesive that may be placedon the cover 10. In a preferred embodiment the precautionary message onthe caution strips is “caution”, though in other embodiments the messagecan be “warning”, or any other precautionary message. Also, the materialthe cover 10 is made from can be transparent, or can be any materialthat will prevent debris from falling in the bathtub 12. Though in apreferred embodiment the precautionary message is on a diagonal cautionstrip 22, the message can be displayed on the cover 10 in any manner,such as written once laterally across the entire cover, or displayed ina multitude of colors.

The precautionary messages warn a viewer such as a homeowner or buildingtenant that the tub is a potentially hazardous area. Also, the securingmeans 18 allows the cover 10 to be securely adhered to the bathtub 12 toensure that the cover 10 will not move or shift. The rectangular shapeof the cover 10 additionally allows the cover 10 to conform to thedimensions of a rectangular bathtub 12. The protective strips 20 allowthe cover 10 to be carried together with multiple covers so thatmultiple covers can be carried by a plumber to several work areas.Consequently, the disclosed invention achieves all of its objectives.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that other variousmodifications could be made to the device without the parting from thespirit in scope of this invention. All such modifications and changesfall within the scope of the claims and are intended to be coveredthereby.

1. A protective cover for rectangular bathtubs during construction ofbathrooms, comprising: a rectangular sheet with side edges and endedges; an elongated strip of adhesive along the side edges; a protectivestrip removably mounted n the strips of adhesive; and a plurality ofspaced bands extending diagonally across the sheet with a precautionarymessage thereon to warn a viewer that the tub having the sheet adheredthereto presented a potentially hazardous area.
 2. The cover of claim 1wherein the sheet is of plastic material.
 3. The cover of claim 1wherein the sheet is transparent.
 4. The cover of claim 1 wherein thebands are of a yellow color.
 5. A method of protecting a bathtub in aconstruction site, comprising: taking a rectangular sheet with sideedges and end edges; placing an elongated strip of adhesive along theside edges; placing a protective strip removably mounted on the stripsof adhesive; imposing a plurality of spaced bands on the sheet extendingdiagonally across the sheet with a precautionary message thereon to warna viewer that the tub having the sheet adhered thereto presented apotentially hazardous area; and removing the protective strips from thestrips of adhesive and adhering the strips of adhesive to upper sideedges of the bathtub.
 6. A protective cover for a bathtub having edgesfor during construction of a bathroom comprising: a sheet of materialthat conforms to the perimeter of the bathtub so that a portion of thesheet hangs over the edges of the bathtub; a securing means attached tothe portion of the sheet that hangs over the edges of the bathtub; andat least one precautionary message on the sheet to warn a viewer thatthe tub having the sheet adhered thereto presents a potentiallyhazardous area.
 7. The protective cover of claim 6 wherein the securingmeans is an elongated adhesive strip.
 8. The protective cover of claim 6wherein the securing means is double back tape.
 9. The protective coverof claim 6 wherein the sheet of material conforms to the perimeter of arectangular bathtub.
 10. The protective cover of claim 6 wherein thesheet of material is transparent.
 11. The protective cover of claim 6wherein the precautionary message is “warning”.
 12. The protective coverof claim 6 wherein the precautionary message is “caution”.
 13. Theprotective cover of claim 6 wherein the precautionary message is on aplurality of spaced apart diagonal bands.
 14. A protective cover for arectangular body, comprising: a rectangular sheet with side edges andend edges; an elongated strip of adhesive along the side edges; aprotective strip removably mounted in the strips of adhesive; and aplurality of spaced bands extending diagonally across the sheet with aprecautionary message thereon to warn a viewer that the body having thesheet adhered thereto presented a potentially hazardous area.
 15. Amethod of protecting a rectangular body, comprising: taking arectangular sheet with side edges and end edges; placing an elongatedstrip of adhesive along the side edges; placing a protective stripremovably mounted on the strips of adhesive; imposing a plurality ofspaced bands on the sheet and extending diagonally across the sheet witha precautionary message thereon to warn a viewer that the body havingthe sheet adhered thereto presented a potentially hazardous area; andremoving the protective strips from the strips of adhesive and adheringthe strips of adhesive to upper side edges of the bathtub.